The carbon tax, demystified

Photo by Grist / Shutterstock . “Carbon tax”: There’s something in that term for everyone to hate. For lefties and climate hawks, carbon — as in carbon dioxide, the largest contributor to climate change — is public enemy No. 1. And we all know what folks on the right think of taxes. Yet the notion of creating a carbon tax in the U.S. refuses to die — maybe because it’s a creative idea that also holds some appeal across the ideological spectrum. It’s a practical scheme to alleviate global warming — and it’s market-based! Here are some answers to the carbon-tax questions we know you have. Q. What the heck is a carbon tax? A. Simple: It’s a tax on carbon dioxide (CO2) huffed into the atmosphere when we burn coal, oil, natural gas, gasoline, and any other carbon-based fuel. CO2 is the biggest contributor to climate change, and putting a tax on it is one way to encourage people...